After one of Egypt's Olympic swimmers admitted that the team was given knockoff Nike gear from China to compete in, the sports brand has issued a severe warning to that country's Olympic body to take all possible steps to safeguard and protect the sport brand's name and reputation. Yomna Khallaf, competing for Egypt in synchronized swimming, tweeted that her Olympic bag had a giant Nike logo... and that the zippers were marked Adidas.

Nike sent a letter of warning to the Egyptian Olympic Committee after Khallaf added that the initial attitude of the officials in Cairo was: 'take this or have nothing at all.' Contacted by the media, the Egyptian Olympic Committee confessed that its uniform supplier had been handing them knockoff goods, the Daily Mail reports.

General Mahmoud Ahmed Ali, the president of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, confirmed: "We signed with a Chinese distributor in light of Egypt's economic situation." He called the fake clothes and footwear 'sufficient' for the Egyptians competing in the games, and suggested that if Nike felt troubled by the violation of its copyright, the company should pursue the supplier in China, not his committee.

In the company's letter to the Egyptian Olympic Committee, Nike warned that it 'consistently acts to protect its brand and actively engages with law enforcement agencies and Customs authorities to stop counterfeit product reaching consumers and athletes.'

According to the BBC, the Committee and Nike are now 'in discussions' over the matter. However, it is unclear whether Nike will take legal action. (ANI)